BitConnect

Zazzle Shop

Monday, June 21, 2010

Guitarist Ed O'Brien: New disc is "best we've ever made"

Buckner/Getty

By Daniel Kreps

Radiohead are currently back in the studio putting the finishing touches on the "best album we've ever made," guitarist Ed O'Brien announced during his guest DJ spot on BBC 6 Music this weekend, adding that the LP will hopefully be released by the end of the year. "It's genuinely exciting, it's very different from what we did last time. It's so good to be making music with a band that you feel is as good as it's ever been," O'Brien said of the group's anticipated follow-up to 2007's In Rainbows.

Telling host Adam Buxton (via AtEase) wrapping up the record "feels it's in touching distance," O'Brien added that "bursts of energy" could derail the band slightly, but he sees the group exiting the studio with the final product within "a matter of weeks."

O'Brien didn't offer up any specifics regarding the upcoming disc, but Yorke has debuted nearly a dozen new tracks — "The Present Tense," "Lotusflower," "The Daily Mail" and "Mouse Bird Dog," just to name a few — over the last year while touring solo or with Atoms for Peace. However, Yorke hasn't confirmed whether those fresh songs are bound for the follow-up to his solo record The Eraser or Radiohead's next disc.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Radiohead last unleashed the track "These Are My Twisted Words" as a free download to fans late last year. "I'm an eternal optimist, but I truly believe we can shift massively on this [next] record. That's the thing we all know, that we feel in our bellies as we're rehearsing — we're on a big move here. We're definitely on a journey," O'Brien told Rolling Stone last year about the band's new direction.

During the interview and mixtape session for BBC Music 6, O'Brien also chatted about the laborious In Rainbows recording sessions and the band's desire to make recording "fun" again, the influence producer Nigel Godrich has had on the band (he's produced every Radiohead album since OK Computer) and the band's tour documentary Meeting People Is Easy. O'Brien spun records by XTC, Brian Eno, Diplo, composer Eumir Deodato and, of course, Radiohead. Listen to O'Brien's guest DJ spot for six more days on the station's site.

Now that Radiohead have confirmed they have new music, the question remains how will they release it? In 2007, the band unveiled In Rainbows with a game-changing "pay what you want" method, which was followed by a physical release on TBD Records two months later. Despite the fact that most listeners downloaded the album for free, the band made more money from their open-ended price scheme alone than it from all sales of Hail to the Thief, their last album for EMI. Radiohead have gone on record saying In Rainbows's unique release was likely a one-time deal, but Yorke has since called the record biz a "sinking ship."

iPhone 4 reaches Czech early for impressions

The iPhone 4 has landed in the hands of a Czech who has managed a test of the phone and its camera, including HD video. Swenak explained that the phone feels good in the hand, isn't prone to slipping, and is relatively fast both in wide use and in getting a GPS lock-on. His only misgivings expressed to Jablíčkář are around the plastic frame between the metal and the glass, which he believed could get minor scratches over time.

The phone's thinner profile is much easier to fit in a pocket, Swenak added.

In testing the camera, still photos appear to have the quality of a typical point-and-shoot camera, though with relatively little visible noise or fringing artifacts. Video at 720p is sharp at its native size and has audio quality similar to an iPhone's with a comparatively quiet scene.

Look, the printed word is live! Don’t doubt what you have seen here. They are the works of Nick Georgiou, a creative artist from Queens, NY. All of his works are vividly sculpted by newspapers and books that collected by himself or others arround. Georgiou always considers himself as a storyteller. He enjoys changing printed word into another form and thinks it is a way of breathing new life into books or newspapers. His works have been exhibited Black Rat Press, Andipa Modern galleries in London, the recent solo exhibition in Tucson as well as several shows in the New York area. We have featured some here, let’s feel the great charm of the creatures of the stitched folds of paper.

Traditional bifocals could become a thing of the past with the invention of electronic glasses that automatically adjust to let their wearer view objects at different distances.

The electronic glasses, developed by US firm PixelOptics, can be adjusted manually to view objects at different distances by pressing a button on the side of the frames

The spectacles, which are due to be launched in the US this year and the UK next year, use lenses that change their strength when a small electrical current passes through them.

A layer of liquid crystal sandwiched inside each lens alters its refractive properties according to the current applied, adapting the focal length according to where the wearer is looking.

Traditional bifocals, which use two lenses of different strengths in front of each eye, have been used by people who are struggle to focus on both near and far objects ever since they were believed to have been invented by Benjamin Franklin, the American statesman, in the 1780s.

But some users complain of headaches and dizziness while the small field of view forces them to move their heads while reading.

The electronic glasses, which have been developed by US firm PixelOptics, can be adjusted manually to view objects at different distances by pressing a button on the side of the frames.

Unlike traditional bifocals, which only allow the wearer to focus "near" or "far", the electronic lenses have a range of in-between settings.

The focal length can also change automatically when motion sensors embedded in the frames detect that the wearer is looking down – to read a book, for example.

Trials are under way in the US and the developer hopes to launch the glasses by the end of 2010 before bringing them to the UK by the middle of next year.

Peter Zieman, director of European sales for PixelOptics, said: "We have been developing these glasses for the past 10 years.

"Liquid crystals can change their refractive index when an electrical charge is put through them, so wearers can switch between distance and reading in the time it takes to blink.

"Putting in the kind of motion sensors that are used in the iPhone also allows the glasses to sense when someone is reading a book or a newspaper and so change the focal distance of the lenses automatically.

"In essence, glasses haven't changed all that much since they were first invented. The most recent development was transition lenses that tint in sunlight, but even that was 15 years ago.

Tonji University Shanghai’sBambu House at theEuropean Solar Decathlonis a beautiful sun-powered abode inspired by nature. It has two elegant sloping roofs and is almost entirely constructed from bamboo. Its impressivesolar arraygenerates 9 kilowatts of electricity which powers its one bedroom, one living room layout. We love how the house combines traditional Chinesearchitecturewith state of the arttechnology— it has temperature and humidity control systems, high-level thermal insulation systems, and a bamboo enclosed garden.

Tonji University’s team has 20 members and is composed of doctors, postgraduates, and undergraduate students who range across many disciplines — from architecture and urban planning toenergydevelopment. They hope that theirsolar-poweredhouse can help promote their forward-thinking ideas aboutrenewable energyuse in residential urban areas. The team has spent six months designing and constructing the house from scratch and they are hoping their hard work will pay off. Structurally, the house is strongly influenced by traditional Chinese architecture but with a tinge of the efficient look of contemporary architecture.

TheSolar Decathlon Europekicked off with a bang today and Inhabitat is on the scene to provide a first peek at the amazing sun-poweredarchitectureon display. The European Solar Decathlon is the sister of the US Solar Decthalon — whichwe covered in Washington DCthis past October — and was organized in a partnership between Government of Spain’s Ministry of Housing and the United States Government. The decathlon is taking place all through next week in Madrid, so stay tuned to Inhabitat as we bring you a front seat view of all the action!

Nike is continue to impress with their advertisement methods. This huge sculpture, which has been named Ballman, is made with almost 3,000 footballs suspended from steel wire ropes giving the illusion that it is floating in the air. It is located inside shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ballman will stay in place for the whole World Cup tournament , and when dismantled, the plan is that the balls will be given away.

If you are a World Cup fan, then you will probably like these posters made for every team on tournament.

Sam Raimi has signed to direct Oz, the Great and Powerful for Disney, according to Deadline. The 3-D prequel to the original Wizard of Oz (it's kind of hard to write that, actually) will start with the character in his pre-wizarding days, when he's just a circus performer who suddenly gets whisked away in a hot air balloon by a tornado to the land of Oz and ... well, you can figure out the rest, right?

Raimi apparently beat out candidates like Sam Mendes, Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and even Guillermo del Toro for the job. Robert Downey Jr. has been heavily rumored to star in the film but has not confirmed his involvement yet. A source told Deadline, "They are going to develop [the movie] for him, if things go right. The script will be rewritten."

Which might not be the worst idea in the world, according to The Playlist, which got hold of a draft of the script and found it, shall we say, lacking. But with Downey facing a pretty busy year anyway, with Sherlock Holmes 2, Gravity and The Avengers all coming up, this might give Raimi a chance to give the screenplay a long, hard look and get it into better shape than it's apparently in now.

Oz is Raimi's first official project since leaving the Spider-Man franchise behind, and his involvement also throws the future of the World of Warcraft adaptation—which he was supposed to direct—into doubt. It also all but takes him out of the running to direct The Hobbit. Harry Potter director David Yates is still the front-runner for that.

The bigger question is, even if you think Raimi could do a good job, does the world want a prequel to The Wizard of Oz? Or is this Hollywood thinking at its most desperate?

Erin Wuchte serves up Butterbeer to guests at "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Orlando theme park in Orlando, Fla., June 9, 2010. (AP Photo)

(CBS/AP) Until now, Harry Potter fans could only imagine the sensation of quaffing a butterbeer, finding a magic wand at Ollivander's or escaping the steam from a snarling dragon's snout.

But finally, 13 years after the first of seven books began chronicling the boy wizard's adventures, imagination has become reality at Universal Orlando.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a minipark inside Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park, opens to the public on Friday, one of most highly anticipated theme-park attractions in years.

The park received a vague, unspecific bomb threat Thursday night, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said, and is working closely with law enforcement officials and taking all "appropriate precautions."

According to the Orlando Sentinel, authorities were investigating the call, but police said it wasn't practical to search the park's entire grounds. A message left for a police spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

But the police activity did not deter large crowds from flooding the theme park Friday morning. Visitors will get their first glance at 9 a.m., but the parking garages at Universal opened at 5 a.m. for eager muggles to begin lining up, reportsCBS affiliate WKMG in Orlando.

Journalists and a few lucky visitors have already gotten a sneak peak at the park.

The entrance to Hogwarts Castle is seen at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando theme park in Orlando, Fla., June 9, 2010. The park-within-a-park opened to the public June 18. (AP Photo)

Past a stone archway and the steam-belching Hogwarts Express, the fictitious city of Hogsmeade unfolds amid snowcapped, dingy rooftops and storefronts packed like row houses with shops straight from the books and movies. Zonko's joke shop offers Sneakoscopes and extendable ears. The confectionary Honeydukes has chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans (literally ranging from pear to fish). At the Owl Post, guests can stamp mail with a genuine Hogsmeade postmark.

Towering over it all is Hogwarts, a perfect reproduction of the imposing, many-spired castle where Harry and his magician friends are students.

"Once we locked in and knew what we were doing, what we thought would be the most iconographic moments of the fiction to bring to life, it became a matter of executing at a level of authenticity and detail that was going to be unquestionable," said Mark Woodbury, head of Universal Creative.

"It was crowded, but great. Definitely well worth the wait. Everything is small, but when you're inside it makes you feel attended to," said Jennifer Moore, a one of the early visitors.

Park construction was overseen by the production manager from the Potter movies, and as Warner Bros. filmed the series' sixth movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," scenes were shot for the park's crown jewel, a ride called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

The cutting-edge ride seamlessly combines the sensation of flight with tactile experiences like smoke and drops of water as it takes guests through a hodgepodge of encounters in Potter's chaotic life, from the Quidditch field to the mouths of giant spiders and dragons. The ride queue stars lifelike projections of film characters like Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

"The special effects were just great! You really felt like you were riding along with Harry on his adventure," said visitor Karen Collins of Revere, Massachusetts.

The average time to experience the new Forbidden Journey ride is about one hour, according to Universal, but with more people, the wait time will be longer.

Potter author J.K. Rowling is a stickler for details, and Universal worked hard to get her approval. So many recipes were offered to find the perfect look, texture and taste for the heretofore fictitious butterbeer that Woodbury lost count.

"We had to package up all the ingredients and rent a hotel kitchen in Scotland so that we could put it all together," he said.

The result? A tasty, thickheaded (and nonalcoholic) brew reminiscent of cream soda, which has proven wildly popular with the fans who bought special tickets to preview the Potter park ahead of the June 18 public opening. Like Wizarding World employees, some of these avid Potterphiles dressed in robes and wizard hats, at times giving the place the slightly geeky feel of a "Star Wars" convention.

Besides the Forbidden Journey, The Wizarding World has just two other rides: Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge, both of which are older roller coasters repurposed with Potter themes.

There's no additional admission for Wizarding World once you pay to enter Islands of Adventure. But guests who travel long distances to see it may be disappointed that there is not much to do beyond the three rides other than soaking up the scenery and going shopping - although long lines for the attractions could easily keep them in the minipark for hours.

One-day tickets can be purchased online for $69 for kids and $79 for adults. Universal reportedly spent $200 million to create the world, and it's hoping the investment pays off.

According to theme park attendance numbers, in 2009, Universal Orlando ranked 13th in the world, but the park is hoping that number will change for the better.

The attraction's lure could rival the economic impact that Disney's Magic Kingdom had on central Florida nearly 40 years ago, according to a University of Central Florida theme parks expert told WKMG.

Duncan Dickson, an assistant professor at UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, said "Wizarding World" will give Harry Potter fans a reason to visit Florida, providing a much-needed boost to Orlando-area hotels, restaurants and stores.

"Right now, it's just a small part of Islands of Adventure. They could grow this thing into huge proportions," Dickson said.

Florida's tourism industry is currently struggling because of the economy and the Gulf oil spill.

"This has the potential to have as big of an impact as the Magic Kingdom in 1971," Dickson said. "It gives people a reason to travel and experience something different."

The shopping opportunities are so extensive - from broomsticks ($250 to $300) to magic wands ($28.95) and Gryffindor scarves ($34.95) - that it feels at times like the whole park is for sale.

The Wizarding World is an ambitious bet for Universal, which is co-owned by a division of NBC Universal and private equity firm Blackstone. Contract details buried in Securities and Exchange Commission filings reveal how badly Universal wanted a piece of the franchise, which it describes as the most financially successful in film history. The contract gives Universal the rights to operate the park for nine years, with two additional five-year options. But the rights can be pulled should Universal fail to maintain minimum quality standards, invest enough capital or sell its controlling interest.

Universal has poured cash into the park the past few years, sinking up to $380 million in the Potter park and two other attractions - a ride themed on television's "The Simpsons" and a roller coaster on which guests choose their own soundtrack. The Potter section of Islands of Adventure alone reportedly cost more than $250 million.

Twitter was filled this week with rave reviews of what was being referred to in tweets as "wwohp." One fan who got access to the soft opening said it was the "best park experience" he had had in a long time; another said Forbidden Journey was so good she cried. "Thumbs up" to butterbeer and pumpkin juice, tweeted another.

"It was truly amazing; they brought the books to life," said Jacki Lenners of Flagstaff, Arizona, who attended an early preview of the park last month.

"Wizarding World" held a star-studded opening ceremony Wednesday night, complete with J.K. Rowling and the cast of the movies. Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry Potter, lit up Hogwarts with a flick of his wand and reciting of a spell before a fireworks show illuminated the castle.

The star shows off her amazing figure for the latest batch of ads!

After stripping for Emporio Armani underwear for spring/summer 2010,Megan Foxis back in the latest autumn/winter 2010-2011 campaign, looking just as sexy! The sizzling gal will also reprise her role for Armani jeans. She isn’t the only hottie brought back in the new batch of Armani ads — just a few days ago the latest shots of soccer studCristiano Ronaldowere released! Check out pics of Megan from last season and tell us, which sexy pics are your fave?

My Favorite Blogs

Ian M. Sherwin Giclée

.
All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings.His work is amazing.